Marshfield Dreams: When I Was A Kid Read Free Books and Download eBooks
The colorful boyhood of a popular author comes to life in this personal accountImagine learning from a nosy classmate that your mother is having yet another baby. To Ralph's classmates, news of one more Fletcher baby is just "scuttlebutt." But for Ralph, the oldest of nine, being part of a large family means more kids to join in the fun―from making tripods in the woods and "snicking" up the rug to raising chicks and even discovering a meteor (well, maybe). It doesn't feel like there's life beyond Marshfield, Massachusetts. Then one day Dad's new job moves the family to Chicago, and there's so much Ralph has to leave behind. In this humorous and captivating memoir, Ralph Fletcher traces the roots of his storytelling.
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Square Fish; Reprint edition (September 4, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250010241
ISBN-13: 978-1250010247
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #44,517 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #24 in Books > Children's Books > Biographies > Literary #184 in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Friendship, Social Skills & School Life > Boys & Men #1922 in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life
Age Range: 10 - 15 years
Grade Level: 5 - 10
In 35 short chapters, Ralph Fletcher shares stories of his childhood neighborhood, family, and friends. Covering topics that include a description of his neighborhood, his feelings and memories of the important people in his life, games he played, school days, pets, and childhood illnesses, this story kept me entranced from start to finish. I loved the author's simple yet moving revelation of his own feelings, especially the poignant chapter about his father, "Last Kiss."Publisher information sets reader age at grades 5 to 8, but the kid-friendly layout of this book will appeal to readers in grades 2-4, particularly if read aloud. Teens working on author reports or personal essays will find the book interesting as well. Teachers will find this memoir a handy tool in writing workshops, if used in conjunction with specific writing topics such as description, characterization, or dialogue. Fletcher's use of details brings his stories to life. Student writers can learn much about turning ordinary life events and feelings into effective stories.As an adult reader, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It's got a little something for every reader. I can't recommend this book enough for teachers. If you assign journal writing for young writers, this book will provide infinite topic inspiration.
Children's author Ralph Fletcher seemed to live an ideal life for a child. The oldest of a large clan in the small town of Marshfield, Massachusetts, Fletcher had nearby woods to roam in, numerous bothers and neighbors to recruit for games, and parents who loved him. Fletcher recounts stories from his young days in Marshfield Dreams: When I Was a Kid.Like Fletcher's other books, this memoir is written for young readers aged 9 to 12. But moms and dads (and younger kids too) will be equally charmed and drawn in by accounts of mud puppies, raising chickens, new babies arriving almost every year, and bouts of chicken pox and mumps. As I read I found myself wanting to visit Fletcher's home on Acorn St. myself and explore all the areas he talked about. Reading Marshfield Dreams with your child could bring up stories to share from your own childhood. Kids of today are likely to marvel at the relative freedom children had growing up in the `60s and the amount of time many of them spent outdoors.The chapters are short and accessible. It's also fun to look at the family photos that appear at the start of each chapter. Fletcher's family moved away from Marshfield to Chicago when he was 13. This tribute to his boyhood home shows how much his life on Acorn St. continues to live on in his memory.
Really sweet. I love books like this -- where we can remember the sweetness of our childhood, or wish we had such sweetness in our childhood to remember -- and had the ability to write about it as honestly as Ralph Fletcher does in this all-too-brief book. I noticed that the author has written several other books, so I checked them out at , hoping that he continues his story, but apparently he hasn't done that -- yet.I grew up in the 1940s and '50s and it's true: we pretty much had freedom from morning till dusk and we were allowed to go here, there, and everywhere but for the most part we found our fun in our own neighborhoods and with our friends who lived right there. Hard to believe the United States has changed so much and so fast!I love the family photos included in the book, and of course every kid, or the kid in every adult, loves the hand-drawn map here, similar to one of the old Treasure maps included in so many old-time books for children. The author makes it all sound so good that I went to Google Maps and looked up Acorn Street in Marshfield, MA and there it is, and it still looks great!
It has been a long time since I read a book in one day. I loved it and couldn't put it down. It was as if I was in Marshfield. Ralph is about 7 years younger than me and my siblings, but his stories in the woods could have been written by me. Marshfield was a wonderful place to grow up. Thanks, Ralph!
This is an AMAZING book to read aloud to boys ages 8-12. The chapters are short and really pack a punch. Fletcher is both a poet and a novelist, and every chapter gives my boys and I something to think about and discuss.
My daughter's 3rd grade teacher read this to her class. My eight year old just hung on every word! She loved the book so much that she asked her teacher if she could bring the book home and read it to me. It is not a "children's" book, but very appropriate for kids. I loved the book just as much as she did. It's full of heartwarming and funny stories about a young boy's pivotal growing up years. Highly recommend for ages 8 - 108!
I love this book! I am using it with my 5th grade class this year as a mentor text to teach writing memoir. It is soo easy to use, each chapter naturally leads to its own mini lesson. What a cool book, I love that the voice is written from a kid's perspective!
As a teacher, I find Fletcher's collection of small moments to be a great teaching resource. Each short story is carefully crafted with great detail. I use this book to model writing small moments. The children in my class ask me to read a story before writing or when they "get stuck." Marshfield Dreams is a must have for teaching small moments or memoirs.
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